In partnership with Northstar Neuroscience, the UW Department of Physiology & Biophysics plans to further research and develop cortical stimulation as a form of therapy for stroke survivors. Cortical stimulation refers to the process of stimulating the cerebral cortex, or the outermost layer of the brain with low levels of electricity to promote neuroplasticity, which may lead to an improvement of motor function.
UW will receive $79,992 in Phase I Research and Technology Development funding from Washington Technology Center and $16,000 from Northstar Neuroscience for the project titled “Implantable recurrent brain-computer interface for activity-dependent brain stimulation.” In this Phase I project, UW Professor Eberhard Fetz and Northstar Neuroscience will leverage the resources of the University of Washington and Washington Technology Center to develop technology that will use neural and muscular activity to control electrical brain stimulation during stroke rehabilitation. The technology may ultimately be integrated with Northstar’s Renova™ Cortical Stimulation System with the goal of improving the lives of stroke patients.
Each year, more than 700,000 people in the U.S. suffer a stroke. Physical therapy is the most frequently prescribed post-acute treatment for stroke survivors; however, this therapy is often offered for only a brief time post-stroke and is rarely continued long-term due to the misconception that brain function is beyond repair a certain period after the initial stroke. Recent studies have shown that repetitive, targeted cortical stimulation of the brain during physical therapy may increase recovery of speech and motor function in stroke patients.
